_Victory_ at Trafalgar, and boys from ten years old—the age of little
Johnnie Doag, an Edinburgh boy, rated as a “First Class Boy,” and
probably the youngest person present on either side at Trafalgar—to lads
of eighteen or nineteen. Four others of the thirty-one in the flagship
(nine short of the complement) were just twelve years old, and six
others, thirteen. The great majority of the men on board were from twenty
to thirty years of age. About 10 per cent were over forty, the majority
of these being between forty-seven and fifty. One of the “powder-monkeys”
on board the _Victory_, it was discovered later, was a woman. Her
husband was also on board the ship. She was a native of Port Mahon, and
an officer who saw her there in 1841 described her as being then “a
sturdy woman of 70.” The last survivor of the seamen and marines on board
the _Victory_ at Trafalgar died at Dundee in November, 1876.
This interesting detail in regard to the _Victory’s_ crew should be
mentioned in addition. Practically 30 per cent of the seamen were
volunteers, so the ship’s muster-book states. It records in the column
headed “_Whence and whether Prest or not_,” the word “Vol” against 181 of
the names, out of a total of 628 able and ordinary seamen and landsmen.
* * * * *
There were, of course, men of all callings in civil life among the
crew—as swept on board by the press-gang for the most part. According to
inquiries made by officers on their own account, almost every trade and
calling of every-day life contributed its quota in those times to the
assortment on board our men-of-war. Collingwood, it is on record, had
among the impressed men sent to one of his ships, a black San Domingo
general, who had somehow found his way across the Atlantic; and also
a Sussex market gardener, and a milkman, these last sent to him for
top-gallant-yard men—poor fellows!
On board the _Elizabeth_, a seventy-four, for instance, out of a ship’s
company 395 in number, only 177, it is on record, were seamen or of
callings connected with the sea: merchantman-sailors, fishermen,
watermen, and dockyard hands. The other 218 were stated thus: 108
labourers, 5 joiners, 6 tailors, 14 weavers, 5 coopers, 6 blacksmiths,
3 whitesmiths, 1 slater, 1 umbrella-maker, 1 butcher, 10 shoemakers, 1
poulterer, 2 stocking-makers, 1 dry-salter, 7 farmers, 1 coppersmith,
4 servants, 3 gardeners, 2 curriers, 1 mattress-maker, 1 tobacco
manufacturer, 1 fustian-cutter, 1 cotton manufacturer, 1 clockmaker,
1 watchmaker, 2 waiters, 1 brickmaker, 2 bricklayers, 1 soldier, 1
stonecutter, 2 sawyers, 7 painters, 1 corn-factor, 1 staymaker, 1
glassmaker, 2 hatters, 1 wiremaker, 1 potter, 1 miller, 1 mason, 1 miner,
1 chimney sweep. The same kind of mixture was found on board another
seventy-four, with these additional items: 1 linen draper, 1 artificial
flower-maker, 1 milliner, 1 hinge-maker, 6 more hatters, 5 more barbers,
and another umbrella-maker, 1 button-maker and 1 thimble-maker, 2 flax
and hemp dressers, 3 coach and harness makers, 4 dyers, 1 tanner, 1
maltster, 1 calendarman, 2 wool-combers, 1 pipe-borer, 1 warehouseman, 1
tallow-chandler, 1 sadler, 3 pedlars, 1 violin-maker, 1 schoolmaster, and
1 optician. All was fish that came to the press-gang’s net.
Again, too, to take another case. Captain T. Byam Martin (afterwards Sir
Thomas and Admiral of the Fleet), of the _Implacable_, in May, 1808,
checked the composition of his ship’s company man by man, and sent the
results of his investigation to his brother. “I have just now,” he wrote,
“been amusing myself in ascertaining the diversity of human beings which
compose the crew of a British ship of war, and as I think you will be
entertained with a statement of the ridiculous medley, it shall follow
precisely as their place of nativity is inserted in the ship’s books:
English 285, Irish 130, Welsh 25, Isle of Man 6, Scots 29, Shetland 3,
Orkneys 2, Guernsey 2, Canada 1, Jamaica 1, Trinidad 1, St. Domingo 2,
St. Kitts 1, Martinique 1, Santa Cruz 1, Bermuda 1, Swedes 8, Danes 7,
Prussians 8, Dutch 1, Germans 3, Corsica 1, Portuguese 5, Sicily 1,
Minorca 1, Ragusa 1, Brazils 1, Spanish 2, Madeira 1, Americans 28, West
Indies 2, Bengal 2. This statement does not include officers of any
description, and may be considered applicable to every British ship, with
the exception that _very few of them have so many native subjects_.”
Of those who fought on board the _Victory’s_ special companion-in-arms
at Trafalgar, the “Fighting” _Téméraire_, Ireland contributed just
two-fifths of the total ship’s company—220 men out of 550.[14] They
came from all parts, according to the ship’s books, mostly from
Waterford, Belfast, Limerick, and Wexford; and about a third from
Dublin, Newry, Kildare, Galway, Kilkenny, and Cork. Scotland supplied
the _Téméraire_ with 58 men; hailing, the greater number of them, from
Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee, Greenock and Glasgow, Leith and Edinburgh.
Wales contributed 38 men all told; from Swansea, Cardiff, Pembroke,
and Milford, for the most part. Of all the Englishmen on board the
“Fighting” _Téméraire_ at Trafalgar, one county by itself contributed
practically a third of the number—Devonshire. They counted 52 men,
drawn from all over the county: Bideford and Barnstaple, Exeter,
Tavistock, Dorlish [_sic_], Ilfracoome [_sic_], Tiverton, and Dartmouth
and Paignton. From London came 30 men in all. Lancashire had as many
representatives in the ship as all Wales, 38—all except three hailing
from Liverpool or Manchester. Somerset had 24, Cornwall 20, Yorkshire
13, Northumberland and Durham 10 each. These are the numbers from the
other English counties: Norfolk 8 men, Hampshire 7, Kent 6, Cumberland
and Gloucestershire each 5; Essex, Dorset, Chester each 4; Middlesex 3;
Derbyshire, Warwick, Sussex, Cambridge, Worcester, and Suffolk each 2;
Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Shropshire, Leicester, Surrey, Hereford,
and The Isle of White [_sic_] 1 man each. There were 8 Manxmen at
Trafalgar on board the “Fighting” _Téméraire_; 2 Jerseymen, and 1 man
from Guernsey. Jamaica had 1 man on board, and Newfoundland 2 men. As
usual, a number of foreigners figure on the books—66 altogether. They
included: 28 Americans, 9 Germans (mostly from Hamburg and Emden),
6 Swedes, 5 Portuguese, 3 Frenchmen, 3 Spaniards, 1 Dutchman, 1
Cape-Dutchman, 1 from “Sclavonia” (Peter Valentine by name), 1 Viennese
(Emil Joaquim), 1 from Old Calabar (a negro named Ephraim) and the
remainder from Santa Cruz and other non-British islands in the West
Indies.
The log of the _Victory_ for the day after the battle accounts for all
who fell on board Nelson’s flagship, whether killed or wounded. It sets
out the full list in this form:—
“A return of men killed and wounded on board his Majesty’s ship
_Victory_, bearing the flag of the Right Honourable Lord Viscount Nelson,
K.B., Duke of Bronté, Vice-Admiral of the White and Commander-in-Chief,
on the 21st day of October, 1805, in an engagement with the combined
fleets of France and Spain off Cape Trafalgar. Thomas Masterman Hardy,
Esq., Captain.
KILLED
_Names_ _Quality_
The Right Hon. Lord
Viscount Nelson, K.B.,
Duke of Bronté Commander-in-Chief
John Scott, Esq. Secretary
C. W. Adair Captain, Royal Marines
William Ram 9th lieutenant, R.N.
Robert Smith Midshipman
Thomas Whipple Captain’s clerk.
James Mansel Ab.[15]
Thomas Daniels L.M.
Thomas Thomas (1st) Ab.
James North Ordinary
Alfred Taylor Do.
James Parke Do.
William Shaw L.M.
Richard Jewell Ordinary
Charles Davis (1st) Do.
John Bowlin L.M.
William Brown (1st) Ab.
William Mark Do.
George Smith (1st) L.M.
John Wharton Ordinary
John King Quarter-gunner
Robert Davison Ab.
Edward Waters Do.
John Cowarden Ordinary
William Thompson (3rd) Ab.
Thomas Johnson Quartermaster
Andrew Sack Yeoman of signals
Alexander Walker Ab.
Arthur Hervin Ordinary
John Welch (2nd) Ab.
William Skinner Ordinary
Joseph Ward Do.
James Skinner Do.
Stephen Sabine 3rd class (boy)
George Welch 2nd class (boy)
Collin Turner 3rd class (boy)
_Royal Marines_
George Cochran Corporal
James Berry Drummer
James Green Private
John Brown (1st) Do.
Lambert Myers Do.
Samuel Wilks Do.
George Kennedy Do.
Daniel Hillier Do.
John Brannon Do.
James Norgrove Do.
Jeremiah G. Lewis Private
George Wilmott Do.
Bernard McNamara Do.
John Ebbsworth Do.
William Coburne Do.
William Jones Do.
William Perry Do.
John Palmer Do.
WOUNDED DANGEROUSLY
John Pasco Signal-lieutenant, R.N.
William Rivers (2nd) Midshipman
Alexander Palmer[16] Do.
John Bush Ordinary
Daniel McPherson L.M.
John Bergen Ordinary
Henry Cramwell[16] L.M.
William Jones (3rd) Do.
Hans Andersen Ab.
David Buchan Do.
Joseph Gordon[16] Ordinary
William Smith (2nd)[16] Do.
John Smith (2nd) Do.
John Saunders 3rd class (boy)
_Marines_
William Taft Corporal
Thomas Raynor Private
John Gregory Do.
William Knight Do.
James Bengass Do.
William Wells Do.
Benjamin Cook Do.
James Hines Do.
Benjamin Matthews Private
Thomas Wilson Do.
Nicholas Dear Do.
BADLY WOUNDED
George M. Bligh 6th lieutenant, R.N.
Lewis B. Reeves 2nd lieutenant, R.M.
William Honnor Quarter-gunner
Jeremiah Sullivan Ab.
Peter Hale L.M.
Thomas Green (1st) Ab.
John Francois Ordinary
William Castle Ab.
George Burton Ordinary
James Parker Do.
Edward Dunn Do.
Edward Padden Private, R.M.
SLIGHTLY WOUNDED
J. G. Peake 1st lieutenant, R.M.
George A. Westphal Midshipman
Richard Bulkeley Do.
John Geoghegan Clerk to agent victualler
Josiah McPherson L.M.
Thomas Graham Ordinary
Thomas Collard Ab.
Robert Phillips L.M.
John Kinsale Ordinary
Charles Legge L.M.
David Conn Do.
Daniel Leary Ab.
William Taylor Ordinary
John Simm Ab.
Samuel Cooper Do.
William Gillett Ordinary
John Bornkworth Do.
Robert Gibson Ab.
Angus McDonald Do.
George Quinton Quarter-gunner
Edward Grey Ordinary
Samuel Brown Yeoman of powder-room
William Butler Ab.
Samuel Lovett Do.
Daniel Munro Do.
James Curry Do.
Michael McDonald Ordinary
William Fall Ab.
Michael Pennill Do.
Thomas Pain Do.
John Knight Boatswain’s mate
_Marines_
Giovanni Giunti Private
Charles Chappele Do.
Samuel Green Do.
James Fagen Do.
Isaac Harris Do.
John Dutton Do.
George Graves Do.
James Rogers Do.
George Coulston Do.
Nicholas le Contre Do.
Thomas Crofton Do.
Killed 54
Dangerously wounded 25
Badly wounded 12
Slightly wounded 42”
One or two eye-witnesses’ accounts from on board the _Victory_, at and
immediately after Trafalgar, give interesting glimpses of what went
on in the ship during the fight. First of all, there is the formal,
matter-of-fact tale as set out in the log:—
“At 11.30 the enemy opened upon the _Royal Sovereign_. At 11.40 the
_Royal Sovereign_ commenced firing on the enemy. At 11.50, the enemy
began firing on us and the _Téméraire_.
“At noon, standing for the enemy’s tenth ship, with all possible (sail)
set. Light airs and cloudy. Standing towards the enemy’s van with all
sail set. At 4 minutes past 12, opened our fire on the enemy’s van in
keeping down their line. At 20 minutes past 12, in attempting to pass
through the enemy’s line, we fell on board of the 10th and 11th ships,
when the action became general. About 1.15, the Right Honourable Lord
Viscount Nelson, K.B., and Commander-in-Chief was wounded in the shoulder.
“At 1.30 the _Redoutable_ having struck her colours we ceased firing
our starboard guns, but continued engaging the _Santisima Trinidad_ and
some of the enemy’s ships on the larboard side. Observed the _Téméraire_
between the _Redoutable_ and another French ship of the Line, both of
which had struck. Observed the _Royal Sovereign_ with the loss of her
main and mizen-masts, and some of the enemy’s ships around her dismasted.
At 3.10 observed four sail of the enemy’s van tack and stand along our
line to windward. Fired our larboard guns at those which could reach
them. At 3.40 made the signal for our ships to keep their wind and
engage the enemy’s van coming along our weather line. At 4.15 the Spanish
Rear-Admiral to windward struck to some of our ships which had tacked
after them. Observed one of the enemy’s ships blow up, and 14 sail of the
enemy standing towards Cadiz, and 3 sail of the enemy standing to the
southward. Partial firing continued until 4.30, when a victory having
been reported to the Right Honourable Lord Viscount Nelson, K.B., and
Commander-in-Chief, he then died of his wound.”
Then we have this personal narrative from one of the men on deck, as told
in a quaint letter which James Bagley, a marine of the _Victory_, wrote
home to his sister, while the ship was lying at Spithead with Nelson’s
body on board, awaiting orders to proceed round to the Nore:—
“_Victory_, SPITHEAD, _Dec. 5, 1805_.
“DEAR SISTER,
“Comes with my kind love to you are in good health so thank God
I am; for I am very certain that it is by his mercy that me and
my country is, and you and your religion is kept up; for it
has pleased the Almighty God for to give us a complete victory
of the combined fleets of France and Spain; for there was a
signal for them being out of Cadiz the 19th of October, but we
did not see them till the 21st, in the morning, and about 12
o’clock we gave three cheers, and then the engagement began
very hot on both sides, but about five o’clock the victory was
ours, and twenty sail-of-the-line struck to us. They had 34
sail-of-the-line and we had 27 of the line, but the worst of
it was, the flower of the country, Lord Nelson, got wounded at
twelve minutes past one o’clock, and closed his eyes in the
midst of victory. Dear sister, it pleased the Lord to spare
my life, and my brother Thomas his, for he was with the same
gentleman. It was very sharp for us, I assure you, for we had
not a moment’s time till it was over, and the 23rd of the same
instant we got a most shocking gale of wind, and we expected
to go to the bottom, but, thanks be to God, He had mercy on
us, for every ship of ours got safe into harbour, and all the
French but four got knocked to pieces on the rocks. So that is
the most I can tell you of it, for the English is in a right
cause you may depend on it, or else the Lord would not have had
the mercy on us as He has had, for we made five ships strike to
the ship has I am in. We had 125 killed and wounded, and 1500
in the English fleet killed and wounded, and the enemy 12,000;
so I shall leave you to judge how your country fight for the
religion you enjoy, the laws you possess, and on the other hand
how Bounaparte has trampt them causes down in the places he has
had concern with, for nothing but torment is going forward. So
never think it is disgrace to having brothers in service; but I
have had pretty well on it, and when you write to our mother,
give my love to my sister Betty and my poor mother, and send
me word about her and you shall have your loving brother’s
thanks. So must conclude with hoping this will bring you peace
and love and unity. Then you and me and our dear mother will
meet together to enjoy the fruits of the island as I have been
fighting for. My dear, I shall just give you a description of
Lord Nelson. He is a man about five feet seven, very slender,
of an affable temper; but a rare man for his country, and has
been in 123 actions and skrimmages, and got wounded with a
small ball, but it was mortal. It was his last words, that it
was his lot for me to go, but I am going to heaven, but never
haul down your colours to France, for your men will stick to
you. These words was to Captain Hardy, and so we did, for we
came off victorious, and they have behaved well to us, for they
wanted to take Lord Nelson from us, but we told Captain as we
brought him out we would bring him home; so it was so, and he
was put into a cask of spirits. So I must conclude. Your loving
brother,
“JAMES BAGLEY.”[17]
After her arrival in English waters with Nelson’s body on board, the
_Victory_, while on her way round to the Nore, was delayed for some days
by head winds in the Downs. A very interesting letter from a visitor to
her, dated from Dover, the 16th of December, 1805, is in existence.
“I am just come from on board the _Victory_,” says the writer. “She is
very much mauled, both in her hull and rigging, has upwards of 80 shot
between wind and water: the foremast is very badly wounded indeed, and
though strongly fished, has sunk about six inches: the mainmast also is
badly wounded, and very full of musket shots: she has a jury-mizen mast,
and fore and main top masts, and has a great many shot in her bowsprit
and bows; one of the figures which support the Arms has both the legs
shot off. I clearly ascertained that Lord Nelson was killed by a shot
from the main top of the _Redoutable_: he was standing on the starboard
side of the quarter-deck with his face to the stern when the shot struck
him, and was carried down into one of the wings: he lived about one hour,
and was perfectly sensible until within five minutes of his death. When
carrying down below, although in great pain, he observed the tiller ropes
were not sufficiently tight, and ordered tackles to be got on them, which
now remain. The ship he engaged was so close that they did not fire their
great guns on board the enemy, but only musketry; and manned the rigging
on board; but nearly the whole that left the deck were killed. The ship
had 25 guns dismounted by the _Victory’s_ fire. A shot carried away four
spokes from the wheel of the _Victory_, and never killed or wounded any
of the men steering. Temporary places have been fitted up between the
decks for the wounded men, which are warmed by stoves.”
We will take our leave of the _Victory_ for the present with a second
letter, dated “Sheerness, the 24th of December,” on the _Victory’s_
arrival in the Medway, bound for her home port, Chatham, to repair there
after the battle. It was just two days after Nelson’s remains had been
removed to Greenwich Hospital on the way to St. Paul’s.
“The inhabitants of this place had yesterday the satisfaction of
welcoming the old _Victory_ and her gallant crew to the River Medway: the
noble ship passed close to the Garrison Point, and was received with an
enthusiastic cheering from the shore, which was returned by her crew. The
civilities of the officers of the _Victory_ have been beyond belief in
satisfying the anxious curiosity of numbers who have been on board to see
the ship and the spot where our gallant Nelson fell and died. The fatal
bullet that deprived him of his valuable life is in the possession of the
surgeon of the _Victory_, just as he extracted it from the body, with
part of the epaulet and coat adhering to it. Many of the poor wounded
fellows are on board, nearly well and in good spirits. The bullets in the
lower part of the mainmast are so thick that it is surprising how anyone
on the quarter-deck could have escaped, especially the brave Captain
Hardy, whose amiable character seems to be the greatest alleviation the
officers and crew of the _Victory_ have for the loss of their Nelson.”
UNDER FIRE WITH COLLINGWOOD
And when the loving cup’s in hand,
And Honour leads the cry,
They know not old Northumberland
Who’ll pass his memory by.
When Nelson sailed from Trafalgàr
With all his country’s best,
He held them dear as brothers are,
But one beyond the rest!
The splendid service that the _Royal Sovereign_ rendered on the 21st of
October, 1805, should appeal to every British man and boy. In the words
of Captain Blackwood—“Nelson’s Blackwood”—who watched the fight, written
immediately after the battle, “of the _Victory_ and the _Royal Sovereign_
it is impossible to say which achieved the most.” The _Royal Sovereign_
had been with Nelson off Toulon in 1804. She had gone home to refit when
Nelson went across the Atlantic in pursuit of Admiral Villeneuve. She
rejoined the British fleet off Cadiz just ten days before Trafalgar, when
Collingwood, who had hitherto had his flag in the _Dreadnought_, moved
into her.
Two interesting preliminary glimpses of Admiral Collingwood on board
the _Royal Sovereign_, on the morning of Trafalgar Day, are given us by
his biographer, Mr. G. L. Newnham Collingwood, who had access to the
Admiral’s papers and letters after his death, and took all possible pains
to get together everything that could be gathered about him from those
who served with Collingwood in the great battle.
Admiral Collingwood’s “personal conduct on that memorable day well
deserves to be recorded. It has been said that no man is a hero in the
eyes of his valet de chambre, but that this is not universally true
is proved by the account which was given ... by Mr. Smith, Admiral
Collingwood’s valued servant. ‘I entered the Admiral’s cabin,’ he
observed, ‘about daylight, and found him already up and dressing. He
asked if I had seen the French fleet, and on my replying that I had not,
he told me to look out at them, adding that in a very short time we
should see a great deal more of them. I then observed a crowd of ships to
leeward, but I could not help looking with still greater interest at the
Admiral, who, during all this time, was shaving himself with a composure
that quite astonished me.’”
This is what Collingwood said to his flag-lieutenant and the other
officers, on the Admiral’s first coming up on deck: “Admiral Collingwood
dressed himself that morning with peculiar care, and soon after, meeting
Lieutenant Clavell, advised him to pull off his boots. ‘You had better,’
he said, ‘put on silk stockings, as I have done; for if one should
get a shot in the legs, they would be so much more manageable for the
surgeon.’ He then proceeded to visit the decks, encouraged the men to
the discharge of their duty, and, addressing the officers, said to them,
‘Now, gentlemen, let us do something to-day which the world may talk of
hereafter.’”
Then we have this incident, which occurred in the forenoon, as the
British fleet was closing on the enemy:—
“Lord Nelson had been requested by Captain Blackwood (who was anxious for
the preservation of so invaluable a life) to allow some other vessel to
take the lead, and at last gave permission that the _Téméraire_ should
go ahead of him, but resolving to defeat the order which he had given,
he crowded more sail on the _Victory_ and maintained his place. The
_Royal Sovereign_ was far in advance when Lieutenant Clavell observed
that the _Victory_ was setting her studding-sails, and with that spirit
of honourable emulation which prevailed between the squadrons, and
particularly between these two ships, he pointed it out to Admiral
Collingwood, and requested his permission to do the same. ‘The ships
of our line,’ replied the Admiral, ‘are not yet sufficiently up for
us to do so now, but you may be getting ready.’ The studding-sail and
royal halliards were accordingly manned, and in about ten minutes the
Admiral, observing Lieutenant Clavell’s eyes fixed upon him with a look
of expectation, gave him a nod, on which that officer went to Captain
Rotherham and told him that the Admiral desired him to make all sail. The
order was then given to rig out and hoist away, and in one instant the
ship was under a crowd of sail, and went rapidly ahead. The Admiral then
directed the officers to see that all the men lay down on the decks and
were kept quiet.”
The _Royal Sovereign’s_ captain at Trafalgar, Collingwood’s
flag-captain, was, like his Admiral, a gallant Northumbrian, Edward
Rotherham, the son of a Hexham doctor. Of him that day the following
story is told. As the battle was about to open, it was pointed out to
Captain Rotherham that the unusually big cocked hat that he wore would
probably render him a special target for the marksmen in the enemy’s
tops. “Let me alone,” was all Rotherham’s reply, “Let me alone. I’ve
always fought in a cocked hat and I always will!”
* * * * *
As pre-arranged by Nelson, the British lee column at Trafalgar, fifteen
ships strong, began the action before the weather column, by leading down
and breaking the enemy’s line near its centre. The manœuvre was begun a
few minutes before noon, when, at Collingwood’s order, the _Sovereign_,
with every sail set and every reef shaken out, dashed forward by
herself, sailing “like a frigate,” ahead of the whole British fleet.
Taking on herself the fire of the enemy’s line, centre and rear, as she
advanced, she swept resistlessly under the stern of the Spanish flagship
_Santa Anna_, a gigantic 112-gun three-decker, nearly a mile in front
of Collingwood’s second astern, the _Belleisle_—“the most remarkable
incident of the battle, a feat unparalleled in naval history,” as it has
been called. “See,” exclaimed Nelson with delight to Captain Hardy, as he
watched the _Sovereign’s_ advance; “see how that noble fellow Collingwood
carries his ship into action!” Just at the moment, as it happened, on
the _Royal Sovereign’s_ quarter-deck, Collingwood himself was saying to
his captain, “Rotherham, what would not Nelson give to be here!”
We know from what a French officer at Trafalgar wrote, that the confident
daring of the _Sovereign’s_ single-handed advance “positively appalled
Villeneuve!”[18]
* * * * *